Editors’ Tom Smith “pines for lost youth” on debut solo track ‘Lights Of New York City’
Editors frontman Tom Smith has shared his debut solo single, ‘Lights Of New York City’. Listen below.
The intimate, acoustic track sees the singer-songwriter “temporarily” step away from the Mercury and BRIT-nominated band – whose seventh and latest album, ‘EBM’, arrived in 2022.
“‘Lights of New York City’ pines for lost youth, a song looking back at the wide-eyed wonder held in a previous chapter of my life,” explained Smith of the nostalgic single.
Fondly recalling moments from his past, he sings: “I want to run those hotel corridors again/ And spill out to a skyline blurred by the rain/ The cold night air meets steel from a train…”
Speaking about why now was the time to embark on a solo project, Smith said: “Artistically, I realised I wanted to do something which was a purer representation of the songs I write, in the style I always have, on an acoustic guitar or a piano, presented simply.
“I’ve got no idea if it’s folky, country-y, crooner-y or what really, I’ve just always had the calling to write and sing sad songs.”
He continued: “More often than not those songs grow with the band [Editors] into something else, something bigger, and often something more confrontational, but with this solo project I wanted the recordings to stay simpler and closer to the ideas they were when I conceived them.”
‘Lights Of New York City’ is accompanied by an official music video, directed and produced by Niall Trask. The visuals show Smith playing an acoustic guitar as he walks through fields and looks out at a lake. Tune in above.
Aside from Editors, Smith has previously collaborated with Razorlight‘s Andy Burrows under the name Smith & Burrows. The duo have released two albums together: ‘Funny Looking Angels’ (2011) and ‘Only Smith And Burrows Is Good Enough’ (2021).
Editors recently began teasing their eighth album. Last month, they shared a series of behind-the-scenes studio photos along with the caption: “First steps. E8”. The group uploaded a similar post this week with the same message. See below.
The band haven’t performed a live show together since August 2024. Last year saw Editors play a gig at the O2 Academy Brixton in London.
They also pulled out of a scheduled slot at the 2024 Park Life festival in Almaty, Kazakhstan due to concerns over its Russian sponsor.
In a three-star review of their most recent album, NME wrote: “Unlike their early records, on ‘EBM’, Editors straddle heart-tugging hits with their now more familiar, visceral rock numbers […] ‘EBM’, then, goes some way to bringing the seasoned band back to what they do best, all the while pushing things forward.”
The post Editors’ Tom Smith “pines for lost youth” on debut solo track ‘Lights Of New York City’ appeared first on NME.
What's Your Reaction?
Like
0
Dislike
0
Love
0
Funny
0
Angry
0
Sad
0
Wow
0
